Education

Ph.D. Illinois Institute of Technology, 2006

Research

The Mustain Laboratory for Energy Storage and Fuels (m∙leaf) focuses on the design, characterization and implementation of electrochemical systems — from fundamental materials through device operation and reactor engineering. We work in several areas related to electrochemical energy generation and storage, including: high capacity materials for Li-ion batteries, battery recycling, corrosion and passivation of materials, catalysts and supports for proton exchange membrane and anion exchange membrane fuel cells and electrolyzers, electrochemical reactor design and electrochemical synthesis of fuels. In these projects our goal is to push the boundaries of human knowledge — not as spectators, but as pioneers in electrochemical science and technology. We use that knowledge to create solutions that transform and improve our community.

Selected Publications

• Amirsalehi, N. Ul Hassan, V.S.S. Mosali, I. Street, M. Manjum, S.A. Lateef, J. Bohannon, S. Mckinney, A.G. Divekar, P.A. Kohl and W.E. Mustain, “Low-Cost, High-Performance Electrodes for PGM-free AEM Water Electrolyzers: Structural Optimization of NiMo-Based Cathodes”, Applied Catalysis B: Environment and Energy, 378 (2025) 125558.
• Lenhart, D. Kathan, M. Hull, T. Omasta, D. Gibbons, M. Zuraw, and W.E. Mustain, Engineering Zinc Slurry Anodes for High-Performance Primary Alkaline Batteries, J. Power Sources, 612 (2024) 234818.
• Soucie, M. Elam and W.E. Mustain, Practical Assessment for At-Scale Electrochemical Conversion of Methane to Methanol, ACS Energy Letters, 8 (2023) 1218-1229.
• Adabi, A. Shakouri, N. Ul Hassan, J.R. Varcoe, B. Zulevi, A. Serov, J.R. Regalbuto, and W.E. Mustain, High-performing commercial Fe–N–C cathode electrocatalyst for anion-exchange membrane fuel cells, Nature Energy, 6 (2021) 834-843.
• Faegh, B. Ng and W.E. Mustain, Practical assessment of the performance of aluminium battery technologies, Nature Energy, 3 (2021) 21.